Put Out The Smoking Gun
by Lady Xana
Summary: A Firefighters AU made of several One Shots where Ava Sharpe is the Captain of the Star City Fire Department and Sara is one of her teammates, along with the rest of some of the Legends. I'll explore Ava and Sara's relationship in addition to their respective paths and journeys that turned them into the firefighters they are today. #AU - Firefighters #Second Chances #Near Death Exp
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The team is called for a fire at a building nearby and Sara being the reckless woman she is, gets herself in trouble. Meanwhile, she and Ava are dealing with a rupture on their fresh relationship.**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - From The Ashes (We Get All Our Second Chances)**

It is another ordinary evening at the fire station. The team is all gathered around the table in the rec room when the alarm sounds, signaling that there is a fire in an apartment building nearby. They all quickly rise up from their seats and put on their turnout gear. When they finish, their captain addresses them in a rushed but firm voice.

"Alright, listen up! Rory, Snart and Charlie will ride with me!" Captain Ava Sharpe informs them as she leads them to one of the trucks, "Palmer, Tomaz and Heywood will ride with Lance! I'm putting her in charge, so no back talk! Understood?"

The second team nods and silently makes their way to the other truck but Sara doesn't follow them right away, instead choosing to address her Captain.

"Ava, are you sure you want me to lead them?"

"Why not? You're one of the best capable fighters I have on the team and you're also one of the best drivers, so it only makes sense."

The praise comes at her like a poison against her skin instead of giving her the reassurance she sought. She doesn't deserve them, not after how she has been treating Ava. As if whatever they had in close quarters never happened, completely erased.

"You best go now, we're wasting precious time while standing here."

Sara nods at it, shaking the annoying thoughts from her mind. She turns around but Ava's voice calls after her before she has the time to get on the truck, "And Lance?"

She sighs before turning around to face her Captain.

"Yes?" She asks rather impatiently, but the way Ava is looking at her anxiously biting her lip tears it down and replaces it with a softer resolve, "Everything okay?" She asks, even though deep down she already knows the answer. Everything is far from okay ever since she ended whatever good she was starting to build with Ava.

The taller blonde is about to say something but Palmer's voice interrupts their conversation, "Captain Sharpe?"

Ava sighs before adopting her stern and confident posture that her team has grown accustomed to everytime they're called to a scene. But Sara can see it in her eyes, there's a disguised sadness in them

She stares at Sara one more time, "Just be careful out there Lance," she says before heading to her truck.

Both teams drive with speed and efficiency, reaching the scene in no more than fifteen minutes.

As soon as they get there, they can see the area is lit up by ambulance lights streaming off the trucks. Paramedics are already working on taking care of the injured victims. Firefighters from another nearby station are also present, much to Ava's relief, since the building is seven floors tall. In a building with that many apartments, the more hands helping will only make it go faster. Her team finally pulls up as close as they can get to the scene and quickly jump out of the trucks. "Okay, start preparing the hoses while I go talk to the Captain from the other station to assess the situation so far."

She quickens her pace and calls for the fellow captain as soon as she is only a few meters from him. "Captain Hunter!"

His worried face shows a bit of relief when his eyes fall on her. "Captain Sharpe! I'm glad I can count on you and your team. We need all hands on deck, the situation isn't pretty and far from over."

Ava clenches her jaw, turning her gaze to the flames that are engulfing the landscape. She nods before returning her attention to Captain Rip Hunter. "Casualties?"

He shakes his head. "So far none, but we haven't been able to check the whole building yet."

"Do you have any idea how many residents the building houses? And how many were inside at the moment of the fire?"

He shakes his head again, this time accompanied with a frustrated sigh. "The building manager told us that at least eight people are supposed to be inside. So far we were able to get five of them out."

Ava nods at that. "Can I send my team inside?"

"Absolutely! We've checked all floors, except the second one. According to the manager, the only people left inside are a family of three living in one of the apartments. Door 201."

"Alright Rip, thank you for the info. I'll let my team know."

With that Ava turns around and regroups with her team.

"According to Captain Hunter the second floor hasn't been checked yet, so I'm gonna go inside with Lance, Mick and Palmer. The rest of you stay here and help Hunter's team put out the fire. If there aren't enough hoses left to go around, start providing first care to the victims. I also want you to be prepared in case we need your help inside, so comms stay on for the duration of the call."

They all nod before dispersing to carry out their orders, leaving Ava with the three members of the team who are joining her inside. "To my knowledge, there's a family of three left, so we only need to find the one apartment. Now grab the hoses and let's go!"

With that, the teams proceed to follow out the orders that are second nature by now. Captain Sharpe decides on an initial offensive attack consisting of a 2 hose-line entry team going into the closed apartment after they breach the door. For that they divide into two teams of two: she and Palmer take charge of the low pressure/high flow spray branch while Rory and Lance are in charge of the second hose that maintains a solid stream.

When she deems it safe enough to enter, Ava signals for Mick to follow her and they start searching for the residents. "This is Captain Sharpe from the Star City Fire Department. Please shout if you can hear me!" she calls as they reach what seems to be the living room.

"We're over here! Please help!" Ava hears desperate cries coming from her left and informs Lance and Palmer to move further into the apartment. Once she steps in the kitchen area she sees a couple barricaded behind the kitchen island. She quickly makes her way to them and kneels down, addressing them with the calmest voice she can muster despite her nerves and hurry. "My team and I are here to help. We're going to get you two out of here but first I need to know if there's anyone else inside?"

The woman doesn't answer, too shaken up to formulate a sentence. The man – who Ava supposes is her husband – speaks for them both. "Our son… He… He was in his room when it happened… Oh God… He's only seven, he can't…" He stutters painfully with pure fear clouding his eyes. Ava tries not to let her emotions affect her, instead focusing on rescuing the child.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna locate your son. In the meantime, we need to get you both out of here safely," she reassures them before turning to Mick. "Take the parents out of the apartment quickly, I'm gonna get the kid. Take Palmer to help you."

Mick nods and grunts in understanding, waiting for the parents to follow him. As soon as he and Palmer check that the hallway is all clear, they keep walking until they are outside on the street with the couple out of danger and receiving care from the paramedics.

Five minutes later, their eyes land on Lance and Captain Sharpe making their way out, with Sharpe carrying what seems to be the missing seven year old boy in her arms. She hurries toward a couple of paramedics and starts speaking.

"Seven year old boy found unconscious, possibly from prolonged smoke inhalation. I checked for burns and found none."

One of the paramedics nods before turning his full attention to the victim, "Thank you, Captain, we'll take it from here."

Ava nods back and returns to Mick and Palmer, "How are the parents holding up?"

"They inhaled a bit of smoke but other than that they seem fine. Worried about their son of course," Palmer informs her while Mick grunts his agreement.

"That's good to hear. I guess that's everyone then," she says before turning to face the building. "The fire seems to be almost out which is great. I'm gonna check with Captain Hunter one more time to make sure it's safe for us to return to the station."

She is so concentrated on her conversation with her men that she doesn't notice another conversation happening a few meters from her.

A desperate woman approaches Sara and the rest of her teammates. "My daughter is still inside, please you have to save her!" the woman pleads and Sara frowns at her. "Ma'am, we got everyone out already. I'm sure she's around here somewhere."

The woman shakes her head profusely. "No, you don't get it. I was working late and just got here! She's not answering her phone! If she was safe, she would pick up! Please, you have to do something!" She insists while gripping Sara's arms tightly.

Sara doesn't know what prompts her to make such a reckless decision, but in a matter of seconds she is nodding at the woman and making her way back inside the building.

"Lance, wait! You don't have your mask on!" She hears Tomaz yell after her but chooses to ignore it, her mind solely focused on finding the victim.

Ava's attention is pulled from her conversation when she hears one member of her team screaming. She quickly makes her way over.

"What the hell happened?"

"Lance went in without her safety mask!" Heywood informs his Captain and receives a frown in return.

"She went after a girl who was left behind." Tomaz adds, trying to justify her friend's actions.

"That doesn't make any sense! All the residents were already brought to safety. We counted them all." Ava tells them with a frown.

"Apparently not. That woman over there was screaming that her daughter is still inside." Palmer informs his Captain, indicating with his head to the clearly upset woman.

Ava makes her way over. "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm Captain Sharpe from the Star City Fire Department. You informed my team that your daughter is still inside. Are you sure that's absolutely true?"

The woman, now in tears, keeps affirming it. "I'm sure. I can't find her anywhere and-"

The woman cuts herself off as she spots someone behind Ava, making her way past the captain and throwing herself into her mother's loving arms.

"Mom! Thank God I finally found you! I'm so sorry, but my phone was left behind, I couldn't reach you and then-"

"It's okay honey, I'm just glad you're safe and sound!" The woman says as she holds on tight to her daughter.

Ava's heart starts beating quicker, her only thought to get Sara out of the damn building. She doesn't even hear the woman's apology as she races to her team, struggling to breathe. Ava uses the comms to attempt to intercept her team member. "Lance, there's no one left inside, it was a misunderstanding! I want you out of the building now!"

She waits, but there is no response. Her mind starts conjuring the worst possible outcomes and forces her hand. She turns to her team. "I'm going in again! Lance isn't answering!" Ava tells them as she takes a deep breath. "Heywood and Mick inside with me, now! The rest of you be prepared to offer medical assistance as soon as we get her out of there!"

The Captain runs inside, calling Sara's name through the smoke. She turns her head back for a couple of seconds addressing her team members. "Have the hoses ready!"

She faces ahead once again, going through the first floor hallway. "Lance, this is your Captain! Please answer!" Ava calls before whispering to herself, "Where the hell are you?"

"Ava." She hears a faint call from Sara and her raging heart calms down slightly. "Pl-please hurry…" Her voice sounds strained. Ava is sure the sound came from her right, so she informs Mick and Heywood. They make their way to the first door to their right, entering it when they make sure it's safe.

"Living room…" Ava hears Sara's faint voice again before all that can be heard are the flames roaring and the alarms blasting.

The Captain approaches the area, and her eyes go wide as she sees the barrier of fire separating them from Sara.

"Guys! Hoses, now! I can't get to Lance!"

"Right away!" Heywood nods as he and Mick point the water hoses at the flames, attacking them until they start diminishing enough for Ava to go through the makeshift path. As soon as she reaches Sara across the living room, her heart skips a beat at the sight of her. Sara is almost completely unconscious. She swallows down her nerves and takes a quick breath, trying to clear her head before addressing the two men. "I'm gonna pick up Lance and transport her to safety as quickly as possible, so I need you to guide me through the smoke and flames!"

"Very well Captain, let's get out of here!"

Once they are in the clear, Ava rushes to her team members, placing Sara on the gurney already on the floor ready for her. She starts to speak while applying chest compressions. "She was barely conscious when I found her, she must have inhaled a lot of smoke. I couldn't check for burns and- I should've checked on her before, when we went in the first time- why didn't I-"

A hand touches Ava's shoulder. "Captain, let Tomaz and I take care of her. You've already done enough." Snart tells her, pressing an oxygen mask to Sara's face.

Ava looks at him with panic, her hands still against Sara's chest. She swallows before nodding and stepping aside slowly. Tomaz kneels down next to her and places her own hands where Ava's had been just seconds ago, restarting the chest compressions.

The Captain pulls back and sits down on the hard ground next to Sara. She takes off her hat and mask, holding her breath while never once looking away from the scene in front of her. She needs Sara to be okay, needs her to open her eyes. Ava still has so much to tell her. Their time together had been too damn short. She is greedy for more, needing more of the woman's smug smile and teasing smirk. And above all, she needs the lazy mornings waking up next to her, when Sara's blue eyes are so openly sincere and bright with a fondness that leaves Ava melting and aching for more. They were getting on so well, why did it end so abruptly? It had been weeks since Sara had been in her bed. She needs to know, craves to know where it all fell apart. Because not knowing for certain is destroying her little by little.

But that is a problem for later, because right now all that matters is that Sara makes it through. She has to. Part of Ava believes that she will fight and wake up soon, but the other half of her, the half that can't bear to lose Sara so suddenly, is very much afraid.

Her teammates' voices bring her out of her dark thoughts, and she uses the moment to focus on controlling her anxiety. It won't do her team any good if their Captain can't function because of fear. So she keeps calm and hopeful while they work on bringing Sara back.

* * *

Sara's father once told her that when you're having a near-death experience your whole life flashes before your eyes. Your birth, your childhood, the struggles of your teenage years and adulthood. He had experienced it one time when he got shot on the job before closing his eyes as his body succumbed to a comma. Thankfully it only lasted three days, and he returned to duty after a tense recovery. Sara had always been a bit of a sceptic about the so-called experience, thinking that he probably exaggerated. But now, as she is the one fighting for her life, she realizes how wrong she had been. Because she did see them, those fragments of her life. She saw how her mom had kissed the pain away every time she scraped her knee playing soccer with her dad at their backyard. She saw the time she had a huge fight with her sister because of some stupid boy who couldn't care less about both of them. She saw the moment she started college and then graduated top of her class, the looks of pride on her parents and sister's faces more present than ever.

And then… Then she sees it, there _**she **_is. Captain Ava Sharpe, congratulating Sara and the other new recruits who had just gotten into the station with a stern yet inspiring welcome. Sara had thought she was probably the most infuriating, smug, beautiful and strong woman she had ever laid her eyes upon. Her adaptation period at the station wasn't easy. Most of the time Sara spent it struggling to accept her orders without a smug retort, both their stubborn personalities conflicting. But soon enough, she couldn't pinpoint exactly when, Sara's frustration started to mold into respect and admiration for her captain. Their glares morphed to shy stolen glances here and there, a sheepish smile matching them. She started to crave for a certain pair of grey-blues to notice her and hold her gaze.. She found herself hoping to work closely with Ava, following her orders and requests without question, earning Sara the praise she so desperately sought after.

And so it began. They started hanging out outside of the fire station, sometimes with the whole team all together, but other times simply by themselves. Going out for dinner after working a hard but rewarding shift to celebrate, but losing track of time in deep conversations about the parts of themselves that they wouldn't tell anyone else about.

Then dinners became whole nights spent together discovering and rediscovering each other's bodies, enveloped in the silky sheets of Ava's bed. Sara swears she had never felt such a fire of emotions for another person. She had had her fair share of passionate one night stands where the nightly hours were meant for sex instead of sleeping. But somehow, it was different with Ava. She knew deep down that what they had wasn't just a meaningless fling, a pair of lovers caught up in the moment. Ava saw right through her sturdy and raised walls whenever their eyes would cross. She would never let go while she was touching Sara. Sara always felt like she could let go of all of the things holding her back because her Captain would be there to catch her if need be. And that kind of deep connection, that kind of need, were what eventually made her pull back. She had to put an end to it before it became too serious, before she became too attached to the pleasant feeling of relying blindly on someone. Before anyone could get hurt.

So, even if it felt like her heart was being ripped apart, she started denying the requests for late night dinners, avoiding being in the same room alone with her Captain and skipping out on a few team hangouts as well.

However, in her current state between life and death, Sara realizes with a painful start that this is not how she wants it to go. She doesn't want this kind of end for herself, for them.

It is too soon to let go of what she and Ava had been building. She is not ready to say goodbye yet. She needs to know all of Ava, needs to know about everything that molded and shaped her into the wonderful woman she is today. She craves for something more, a deeper knowledge, and she needs it now. She needs Ava to know that she cares about her, and that she was a major idiot in ever thinking that she was doing the right thing by pushing her away.

So she fights, fights against the way her body starts to grow limp, begging her to let go and rest in peace. But Sara knows that she can't, not yet. She gathers her strength one more time, pushing against all odds as she urges her body and her mind to be stronger and work together in bringing her back.

And then she finally hears it, a faint calling of her name in the distance, too far for her to reach.

"Sara!" A voice she would recognize anywhere cries out again, this time louder, "Sara! Sara please open your eyes! Don't do this to me, please…" The sobbed words leave Sara's heart aching, and she suddenly feels a spark igniting her whole body. She clings to the pressure of the hands on her chest one last time before opening her eyes. Struggling to reach the surface, she takes in a rushed breath while panic starts to settle in. A hand applying gentle pressure on her chest calms her, and she reaches her own hand up to wrap it around a wrist. Her Captain's wrist. Her Captain whose usually fiery eyes are now filled with nothing but worry and disbelief. A tear rolls down Ava's cheek, and Sara lifts up her free hand to wipe it away. She tries to speak but the shake of Ava's head stops her.

"Don't exert yourself, just focus on breathing properly. Please." The Captain pleads, her voice cracking at the end as her other hand goes up to cup Sara's cheek, stroking it gently.

She hears someone clear their throat and looks to her left to see her colleagues standing there. Tomaz is the one speaking. "Captain, we should take Lance to the ambulance and get her to the hospital as soon as possible."

Ava sniffles as she wipes at her face. "Yes, of course. I will ride with her," she says as she gets up and waits for the paramedics to take Sara inside the vehicle. She then turns around to address the rest of her team. "Thank you all for your effort and good work today. You can either head back to the station or come to the hospital after you're finished here. I'll understand if you're tired and need to call it a night, so it is up to you." She finishes with a small smile and a nod, making her way to the ambulance.

* * *

When Sara wakes up, she is in a room with white walls and the tell-tale smell of disinfectant, which she immediately associates with a hospital. She looks down at her arms and hands, checking for burns. Her lips curve into a small smile when she sees none. A small movement catches her eye, and she turns her head to the chair on her left. Her eyes widen in surprise when they fall on her Captain's sleeping form.

"Ava…" She cringes at the rasp in her voice, looking around for a glass of water. She finds it on the bedside table by her right side and picks it up, gulping it all down in one go. She clears her throat before trying again, "Ava?"

No reaction. She calls louder. "Aves, wake up."

The other woman starts to stir and Sara smiles when grey-blue eyes are finally gazing at her. "Hey there, sleepy-head."

A shift occurs in Ava's eyes as the sleepy calmness turns into a storm of panic. Sara immediately stretches her left hand out and motions for her Captain to take it. "Hey, it's okay."

Ava shakes her head as she gets up from the chair, holding Sara's hand in hers while her free hand settles on a freckled cheek. "You are an idiot, Sara Lance."

Sara chuckles at her harmless words. "Way to kick someone who's already down," she replies with mirth in her voice.

The Captain lets out a sobbed laugh before continuing. "Why did you have to be so reckless, Sara? I thought I was going to lose you. I was so scared, I don't know what-"

Sara's free hand comes up and tugs Ava's head down, placing a gentle kiss against her lips. The Captain's first instinct is to step away, but she quickly lets herself relish the feeling of Sara's mouth against hers. When they part, Sara keeps their foreheads resting against each other.

"What are you doing?" Ava whispers, afraid to open her eyes and realize it was all a dream.

"Something I should never have stopped doing," Sara replies, leaning back so she can look Ava in the eyes. Her hands cup Ava's face, her thumbs stroking her soft skin. "I'm sorry I pushed you away Ava, I was a coward."

"Sara, don't-"

Sara smiles up at her. "Please let me finish, Aves."

Ava blushes at the nickname. She had grown quite fond of it, especially when it came out of Sara's mouth, but the sudden use of it throws her a little. She nods for Sara to continue.

"As I was saying, I pushed you away, and I shouldn't have. I've never had something as real and pure as what I had with you, and that's what made me step back," she tells her, reaching for Ava's hand before squeezing it gently. She takes a deep breath before continuing, "The thought of ever screwing up and losing that deep connection between us scared me to no end. Because let's face it, I'm a screw-up when it comes to relationships. So I thought it was best to just end it before I got too attached to it."

Ava hums and casts her eyes down to their joined hands. She stays in silence for a few seconds before asking, "And did it work? Pushing me away?"

Sara lets out a humorless laugh that has Ava raising her head to look her in the eyes again. "Far from it," Sara tells her shaking her head. "It just numbed me and made me feel empty. I can't believe I needed to go through a near-death experience to realize it," she adds as tears start to form in her eyes. Ava frowns, wiping Sara's tears away.

"What do you mean?"

Sara shrugs her shoulders before shaking her head. "It's stupid, forget it."

Ava cups her face, bringing it to her level so she can look her in the eyes. "You can tell me Sara, you know you can tell me anything."

Sara swallows the lump in her throat while she lets Ava's words sink in. After a couple of beats of silence, she nods. "Do you know how some people believe that you see your whole life flash before your eyes right before you die?" Ava nods and smiles reassuringly, hoping to give Sara the will to continue. Sara stays silent for a while, seemingly torn between speaking or not saying any more. When she doesn't say anything, Ava leans in to press a gentle kiss against her forehead. "Whatever it is, just tell me."

"I saw you…" Sara whispers as her eyes flutter closed, "I saw the first time we met, the stupid fights we had at the beginning because I was too stubborn to accept your orders-"

Ava chuckles lightly at that. "You really were a pain in the ass. A beautiful, fiery mess."

Sara smiles fondly at the description and nods. "I know… Then I saw-" she cuts herself off with a sigh.

"It's okay, just take your time." Ava whispers before laying a kiss on her temple.

"I saw our dinners and late night conversations, talking about anything and everything. And then I saw us at your apartment, during our first time and the ones that would soon follow, wrapped in each other's bodies. Nights spent awake making love, giving in to our desires."

"Sara…"

"Yeah?"

Ava leans back, her eyes open and shining with such a fragility that it has Sara's heart aching.

"I miss you so much. I miss waking up to your beautiful eyes looking down at me and your warm body next to mine." Ava says with a crack in her voice.

Sara nods her head vehemently. "I miss you too Aves, very much. I miss hearing your easy and carefree laughter in the morning and your soft lips against my neck," she admits as she grazes her nose against Ava's, their mouths only a breath apart.

"I want to try this again Sara, whatever this is between us," Ava whispers and her warm breath send shivers down Sara's spine.

"So do I, Aves. I don't wanna waste any more time." She tells her, slowly locking their lips together in a gentle but passionate kiss.

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**AN: Hope you enjoyed your reading! I sure had a lot of fun writing it ;) As always, comments are appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Ava and Sara deal with the latter's recovery after she gets discharged from the Hospital.**

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**Chapter 2 - Send The Rain, Send My Love (To Everyone)**

It was around ten in the evening when Ava returned to the hospital room where Sara was.

"Okay, I went to the cafeteria but they didn't have strawberry jello like you wanted, so I had to take the last flavor available. I hope you like pineapple," she says, too busy looking down at the little package to notice that Sara is out of her bed. Once she finally notices it, her heart jumps in panic. It eventually settles down when she spots the smaller blonde facing the window to her right, her vitals machine still hooked to her left arm.

Ava smiles as she places the jello on the bedside table before stepping closer to Sara, hugging her from behind as her hands rest against her belly. She is careful not to apply too much pressure while she places her head on the smaller blonde's right shoulder.

"Taking your machine for a walk?" Ava teases and smirks when she earns a light chuckle from Sara.

"Something like that."

The captain hums before speaking again. "You shouldn't be out of bed, Sara. You need to rest."

Sara sighs before placing her hands on top of Ava's. "I know, but I needed a change of scenery. I got tired of looking at empty white walls."

Ava nods at that. "I understand. How could anyone resist this city landscape? With all the bright lights illuminating the dark streets, making it look like a starry night sky. It's beautiful." She whispers the last word, turning her head so she can place a gentle kiss against Sara's neck.

The smaller blonde hums at the feeling, closing her eyes. "You're right…" she sighs. She turns around in Ava's arms and rests her right hand behind the captain's neck, her fingers threading through the small hairs there. "No more than you, though," she husks, her trademark smirk in place.

Ava snorts and shakes her head. "You're unbelievable, Sara Lance. Even in a state of recovery, you still manage to be smooth," she says with an amused lilt to her voice, booping Sara's nose affectionately.

Sara shrugs her shoulders. "One of my many talents," she says, followed by a wink. She steps on her tiptoes with the intent of kissing Ava on the lips, but as soon as she stretches, a sharp pain shoots from her back to her toes, making her curse and immediately plant her feet on the ground as she grips the taller woman's shoulder.

Ava's features quickly turn into a frown as she leans back to get a better look. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asks, tucking Sara's hair behind her ears.

"Nothing..." Sara breathes out, clenching her jaw. "I guess I'm still sore from today."

Ava nods, concern visible all over her face. "Do you want me to take you to bed?"

Sara smirks, raising an eyebrow. "Well, Captain, when you put it like that…"

The other blonde sighs, shaking her head before pressing a quick peck against her lips. "You know what I mean, Sara. You have to lay down and rest," Ava insists, letting go of Sara to grab her right hand as she walks her to the bed, helping the smaller woman climb onto it, making sure to be careful with the arm that's still hooked to the machine. Once she is settled, Ava pulls the sheets up to cover her, tucking her in before placing a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"Are you comfortable?"

Sara frowns, an adorable pout on her lips. "I would rather be at home, but I guess this will have to do for now."

Ava smiles softly at her and uses her right hand to gently scratch her scalp. "I know, but we have to wait for the doctor to clear you, okay? I'm sure it won't take long now."

As if on cue, a man dressed in a white coat enters the room. He clears his throat to get their attention.

"Good evening, Miss Lance. My name is Thomas and I'm the doctor who was assigned your case."

"Good evening, Doc. Please tell me I can go home tonight," Sara pleads, her voice showing how tired she is.

The doctor smiles at her. "Let's check your vitals first before we make a final decision," he tells her as he steps closer, looking at the machine displaying the information. He looks closely at her blood pressure levels and temperature, noticing how good they all look.

"Very well. So far so good," he says, turning to look at Sara. "As I understood, you inhaled a lot of smoke and were under extreme heat for a while, so obviously one of my main concerns was the state of your heart, lungs, and possible burns you might have. However, the X-rays didn't show significant damage, and the blood work we did while you were resting also came out clear. As for the burns, you got incredibly lucky. Other than two minor first degree burns, one on your back and another one on your right thigh, we found nothing more."

Sara's face turns into a bright smile at his words. "Does that mean I can go home now?"

"Not so fast, I still want to check your breathing," he lets her know as he takes his stethoscope from around his neck. "Could you lift your scrubs up for me, please?"

Sara nods and does as she is told, holding the fabric up with her right hand while her other one searches for Ava's. She looks up at the captain, silently asking for her support. Ava immediately understands and wraps both of her hands around Sara's, squeezing it reassuringly.

The doctor looks between both women, a small smile on his face before he speaks again. "Breathe in," he tells her as he places his stethoscope atop different areas of her chest. "Breathe out."

He repeats the process a few more times before he leans back and puts the instrument around his neck again.

"Okay, your lungs sound fine to me, which is great. Now, before I clear you, I just want to make sure that you follow some things."

Sara nods after pulling her scrubs down again. "Okay."

"You are going to be feeling some pain over the course of this week, which is perfectly normal. Your body went through a minor trauma, so its way to _call for help_ is by displaying symptoms. You need lots of rest, no exercise, and most definitely no work; unless it's desk duty. You can also take some painkillers that I'll be prescribing you, if you feel like you're in too much pain." He writes something down on a sheet of paper. When he's done, he looks up at Sara again. "However, if you feel like the pain is unbearable, even with the painkillers, or if by any chance you find yourself having trouble breathing or experience chest pain, you come to the E.R. right away. Understood, Miss Lance?"

"Yes, don't worry Doc!" She gives the doctor a mock-salute. He chuckles at her before turning to Ava. "Is she always like this?"

Ava smiles fondly down at Sara. "You have no idea."

The man smirks at her words. "Well, I'm glad to know she hasn't lost her sense of humor, then. Now, I shall leave you to it. A nurse will come in any minute with your discharge papers so you can sign them. I wish you a full and safe recovery, Miss Lance. Have a good night," he says as he leaves the room.

Sara turns to look up at Ava, a grin on her face. "I'm glad I get to go home." Her smile quickly fades when she sees Ava's frown. "Hey, what's the matter?"

The captain's concern is obvious as she brings Sara's hand to her lips and kisses her knuckles gently. "It scares me a little bit, that you'll be all alone in your house after what happened. What if you suddenly need help and there's no one there? Or if you have trouble breathing and can't call 911 in time, or-"

Sara realizes Ava is spiraling and quickly takes her hand back to cup her cheek. "Hey, it's okay, everything is gonna be okay. You heard the doctor, my lungs and heart are fine, and I'm breathing properly. All I need to do is to rest for a few days and then I'll be good as new." She strokes Ava's cheek softly in assurance.

"Still, something bad could happen-"

"Okay, okay…" Sara sighs before continuing. "What would make you feel less worried?"

An idea comes to Ava's mind, but taking into account how not even a day ago their relationship was going through a rough patch, she is not sure if it's such a good one. Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears Sara's voice calling her.

"Aves? I can hear the cogs inside your head working, so please, just tell me what's on your mind."

"Right," Ava nods, swallowing her nerves before finally speaking. "What about… What do you think about moving in, with me?" She blurts out the last part, leaving Sara with eyes wide open.

"I mean, it would only be temporary and- You know what, just forget it... I know it's too soon. We just got to talking again and here I am proposing you move in with me. Just, never mind," she rambles as her cheeks get redder by the second, and Sara can't help but smile fondly at the state of her.

"Why are you smiling? It's because it's stupid, right? I knew it was stupid, I should have never said anything," Ava mutters, looking down at her shoes.

"No, Ava… Look at me." Sara tilts Ava's head up to look at her shimmering grey-blues, noticing how conflicted they look. She smiles warmly, trying to reassure the taller blonde. "I don't think it's a stupid idea, you're just trying to help because you care about me. It's actually very sweet and kind of you."

"But?" Ava asks, biting her bottom lip as she waits for Sara to go on.

Sara sighs, licking her lips as she ponders on Ava's suggestion. "I don't know if it would be the right thing to do, Ava. Mainly because I don't want to be a nuisance, but also because I'm afraid that we might end up moving too fast into this new… relationship," she tells her, motioning between the two of them with her hand.

"I understand," Ava says with a nod, a resigned look on her face. "I will just drop you off at your apartment."

"I would like that," Sara says, even though she can't help the pressure in her chest at the sight of Ava's defeated expression. She reaches out and rests her hand against the taller blonde's neck. "Come here…" she whispers, tugging her head down gently to place a soft kiss against her lips.

Their mouths move together for a while, until Sara breaks the kiss. "I'll get through this, Aves. And you can always visit me, alright?" she tries to put as much reassurance in her voice as she can, pressing their foreheads together. "Just try not to worry too much about me."

Ava nods, leaning back to place a lingering kiss against Sara's temple.

A couple of minutes later, a nurse finally comes in to help Sara get prepared to leave. She disconnects Sara's IV and hands her the discharge papers for her to sign while Ava moves to a corner of the room, grabbing a duffel bag that she drops next to Sara on the bed.

"How did that get here?" She raises her eyebrows as she takes in the bag that she usually has inside her locker at the fire station.

Ava smiles at her. "I asked Zari to drop it off earlier - along with a change of clothes for me as well - before she went home to rest. She wanted to wait for you to wake up, but I told her I would stay with you the whole time."

"Oh, okay. I'll have to make sure to thank her later." Sara hands the signed papers to the nurse before climbing off the bed. She drags the bag closer and zips it open, taking out a pair of clean underwear, a black T-shirt, and a pair of grey sweatpants.

Meanwhile, the nurse addresses her. "Have a safe recovery, Miss Lance," she tells her before making her way out of the room.

Sara thanks her and then turns to Ava. "Could you close the door, please?"

"Of course," the captain replies, quickly doing as she is asked. Once the door is closed, she moves closer to Sara again. When she notices she is having trouble untying her scrubs, she reaches for the laces. "Do you need help?" Her breath against Sara's neck sends shivers down the blonde's spine.

Sara sighs before nodding, leaning back against Ava. "It seems like my muscles are still not very willing to cooperate."

The captain chuckles at that and starts to undo the scrubs. She turns around when she is done, so she can give Sara some privacy.

"Your body shut down, Sara, so the fact that it's still adjusting to moving again is normal."

She hears some shuffling and assumes that the smaller blonde is putting on her fresh clothing. A couple of minutes go by before she feels a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a head resting between her shoulder blades.

Sara sighs against her shirt before pressing a kiss against the top of the fabric. "Thank you for staying by my side the whole time, Aves. I'm sure you must be very tired by now."

Ava swallows the lump in her throat, holding on to Sara's hands. "I could never leave you here all alone, Sara. I was so scared… I had to make sure you were going to be alright."

The smaller blonde removes her arms from Ava's waist before requesting for her to turn around. As she does, Sara's hands go up to cup her cheeks. "I'm fine now. So just try to focus on that, okay?"

Ava vehemently nods, holding on to Sara's waist as she gets lost in the cool azure of her gentle eyes.

"Now, will you lean down for me?" Sara asks her, and a puzzled look appears on Ava's face.

"Why?"

The smaller blonde rolls her eyes affectionately. "Because I want to kiss you, you oblivious woman. And I can't stretch without being in pain right now, so will you please-"

Ava's lips on hers quickly cut her off, and she feels herself melt into the feeling of the captain's body against hers. Ava's hold on her is firm yet gentle, and her stomach does a somersault at the familiar, pleasant feeling of being in the taller woman's comforting and strong arms.

Both try to catch their breaths after they part, their pants mixing in the minimal inches between them.

"I should take you home," Ava tries to reason, even if the raspiness of her voice clearly shows other intentions.

Sara swallows hard, imagining all the things she could be doing with Ava if she wasn't in the fragile state that she is. She nods before forcing her voice out. "Yeah, that's probably for the best."

* * *

After a ten-minute cab ride, they finally reach Sara's apartment building. She is just about to open the car door to get out when Ava's hand on her arm stops her. "Yes?"

"Let me open the door for you."

Sara frowns at her. "Ava, you don't have to do that. I'm perfectly capable of opening a door by myself."

"Please?" Ava almost pleads, her puppy dog eyes tugging at Sara's heart until she eventually relents.

"Fine…" she tells her captain, followed by a half-hearted eyeroll.

Ava smiles and grabs Sara's duffel bag before climbing out of the cab to walk around to her side, bending down to open the door so the smaller blonde can get out. Once Sara is standing in front of her, a teasing smile appears on her face.

"Happy?" she asks.

The captain shakes her head. "Not yet. I want to walk you up to your apartment."

Sara sighs at that. "Aves, come on, you should go home and rest," she tells the blonde, stepping closer so she can intertwine her hand with Ava's free one. "I'll be fine on my own."

Ava shakes her head one more time. "Nope. Either I walk you up there or we'll stay here all night out in the street. Your choice."

A smirk tugs at the corners of Sara's lips. "Alright, you bossy lady."

Ava smiles and goes back to the cab, paying the driver as she thanks her for the ride.

"Come along," Sara says with an amused lilt to her voice as she tugs Ava in the direction of her building.

Once they are inside, Sara moves to go up the stairs but Ava's hand stops her. She turns around with a puzzled look. "What's the matter?"

Ava frowns at Sara's confusion. "What's the matter? Sara, you're not seriously considering climbing several flights of stairs right after you just left the hospital, are you?"

When she doesn't get an answer, she shakes her head and tugs Sara in the direction of the elevators. She presses the button several times, but nothing happens. She then turns to Sara, her eyebrows raised in a silent question as to what's going on.

Sara simply gives her a sheepish smile, her free hand going up to scratch behind her neck. "Yeah… About that, the elevator hasn't been working for a while now."

Ava scoffs at the information before letting out a breath, her frustration showing through. "Okay, that's it. You're coming to stay with me and that's final."

Sara frowns at her words and lets out a sigh. "Ava, come on-"

"That's final, Sara. As your Captain, I order you to stay at my house so you can get the proper rest and care you'll need to recover."

Sara narrows her eyes at her before she lets her head fall behind her as a groan escapes her lips. "I suppose I don't really have a choice here, do I?" she asks as she stares at the ceiling.

"Nope. You really don't." Ava's voice is firm as she steps closer to Sara. When there's only a few inches between them, Ava squeezes her hand gently while her other one goes to rest on the smaller blonde's left cheek. Sara brings her head down to face Ava, her chest warming at the captain's soft smile.

"I know you're used to your independence and having your own space, but it's only for a few days, Sara. It will go by in a flash, you'll see," Ava tells her, trying to reassure Sara the best she can.

Sara finally gives a small nod, slightly smiling at her words. "Okay."

* * *

After calling for a new cab, they find themselves standing in front of Ava's apartment door in less than fifteen minutes. As Ava turns the key to the right, she holds the door open for Sara to enter. The small blonde smiles at her and whispers a thank you before she makes her way inside.

Ava trails after her, closing the door behind her and locking it for the night. They stand in the middle of the hallway for a couple of seconds in awkward silence, until Ava's voice rings through the apartment. "Well, this place is nothing new to you, so please make yourself at home."

Sara's mind wanders back to the last time she was here, in Ava's house. Or more specifically, in Ava's bed, making the captain moan deliciously under her mouth and deft tongue-

"I should show you where the guest room is," Ava says, thankfully breaking Sara's train of thoughts. The latter clears her throat before nodding. "Yeah… That would be nice," she says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't think I ever learned where it is."

Ava gives her a small smile. "Okay, follow me," she says before moving through the small hallway until she enters the room right opposite Ava's. The taller blonde places the duffel bag on top of the bed, turning to look at Sara. "This is it. I know it's a bit small, but-"

Sara raises her right hand, cutting Ava off. "It's perfect, Aves, thank you." She steps closer to the taller blonde and envelops her in a sudden hug, her arms quickly wrapping around Ava's waist as her cheek rests against her chest. Ava takes a couple of seconds to react, but when she does, her head moves to rest on top of Sara's, one hand carding through her hair while her other hand places itself on the small of her back.

She doesn't say anything, deciding the moment is too perfect to risk being ruined by words she is still too afraid to pronounce. Instead, she simply lets herself indulge in the feeling of Sara's warm body against hers, how well her frame fits with hers. She wants to commit this moment and feeling to memory, in case she comes to lose it all once again.

Sara's voice cuts through her thoughts. "Do you mind if I take a shower?" she asks, leaning her head back to look up at Ava, who shakes her head.

"Of course not. That's actually very thoughtful of you, because you stink and I really don't want my apartment reeking because of you."

Sara punches her on the arm playfully, feigning being offended. "Ava Sharpe, how dare you?!"

Ava shrugs, a smirk appearing on her lips. "I'm just calling it how it is, Sara Lance."

Sara is now wearing a matching smirk, one eyebrow raised as she rasps, "Oh really? Hm…" she reaches her right hand up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Ava's ear before whispering, "What do you say you join me under the water to make sure I get impeccably clean, _Captain_? I could certainly use your help with scrubbing my back."

Ava's cheeks quickly turn crimson, her mouth slightly gaping open. A couple of seconds pass before Sara's giggling at her.

"Relax, Aves, I was just teasing. I know we have to take things easy for now."

Ava smiles at that, shaking her head. "Damn it, Sara, you are really-"

Sara tilts her head to the right, mischief playing in her bright blue eyes. "I'm really what? Beautiful, attractive?"

"I was going to say insufferable, but sure. Whatever makes you feel better," Ava tells her with matching mischief in her eyes.

"That'sstrike two, Aves," Sara warns, pointing her finger at her captain.

Ava snorts at her antics. "Whatever, Sara, just go take that shower while I cook us something quick," she says, placing a kiss against Sara's forehead before she walks to the door. "You already know where the bathroom is. There's clean towels on the white closet there, on the door to the left. Please don't take too long, okay?"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Sara tells her with a mock salute, to which Ava simply rolls her eyes, a smirk plastered on her face as she leaves the room.

Ava is just about to reach the end of the stairs when she remembers something. She turns around and goes back up, making her way to the room where Sara is.

"Hey, Sara! I just remembered that you might need help with taking off-" She immediately shuts up when she is faced with Sara's naked back. "Your clothes…" she whispers, although it's loud enough that Sara ends up hearing her.

As she turns around, her trademark smirk can be seen on her lips. "It is already taken care of, Aves, but thanks for the offer."

Ava's mouth stays open as her eyes fall to Sara's very much naked chest, her heart rate suddenly increasing. She promptly snaps out of it as she remembers something she noticed on Sara's back, her expression turning to one of concern.

"Wait, turn around again."

"What's the matter, Ava? It's not like you have never seen me like this before."

Ava shakes her head. "That's not the point, Sara. Please turn around."

When Sara sees that she is on to something, she does as she is told. Ava steps closer and holds Sara's hair gently, pulling it to the side so she can take a better look at her back.

"Be careful with your back while under the shower and call for me when you're done. The burn you got there will definitely need some care afterwards, so I'll need to apply an ointment to it."

Sara shivers before letting out a small '_okay,'_ missing Ava's touch on her as soon as it is gone. She doesn't have much time to dwell on it, because next thing she knows, Ava is asking her to get rid of her sweatpants.

"What? Why?"

"Because I want to check the burn on your right thigh, see if it's as bad as this one."

"Alright…" Sara tells her as she begins to take her shoes and then pants off, leaving her in only her underwear.

Ava thanks her before she is kneeling down right next to Sara's thigh, observing the burn up close. "Okay, this one doesn't seem so bad and it's much smaller, so that's good news. But I still want to take care of it as well," she says before looking up at Sara with a gentle smile. "How does that sound?"

Sara smiles down at her, her right hand scratching Ava's scalp gently. "It sounds great, Aves. You're amazing."

Ava blushes at the compliment, getting up a bit awkwardly. "I meant it when I told you I would take proper care of you," she tells her, averting her gaze from Sara's intense stare.

Sara cups Ava's cheeks to make her face her. "I know… You always keep your word. That's one of the things I lo- _like_ about you," she says, kissing Ava's lips before she can question her about her _almost_ slip-up. The kiss lasts no longer than a couple of seconds, with Sara excusing herself to the bathroom right after, leaving a slightly dumbstruck Ava behind.

* * *

Sara takes no more than ten minutes for her much needed shower, satisfied with the way the water allowed her tired and sore muscles to relax. She makes her way downstairs in nothing more than the towel she is holding closed around her small frame, her hair already half-dry with the help of a small towel she found in the closet Ava had mentioned.

"Aves?" she calls as she approaches the kitchen area, smiling at the sight of Ava plating their food as she hums the tune of a song Sara can't recognize at the moment.

Ava is so distracted, lost in her own world, that she doesn't even notice the smaller blonde's presence. When she looks up, a hand goes to her chest. "Jesus, you scared me!"

Sara grins wide at her reaction. "Not my fault you were so busy singing you didn't even hear me call you."

Ava's cheeks quickly get red at that. "First of all, I wasn't singing, I was humming. And secondly, you could have called for me again," she says as she rounds the kitchen island to get closer to Sara. When they're only a few inches apart, she runs a hand through Sara's hair. "Do you want me to blow-dry your hair?"

Sara shakes her head before thanking her for the offer.

"Are you sure? I don't mind."

"I don't feel like having heat against my skin right now."

Ava nods at her explanation. "Okay. Well, the food is still too hot, so what do you say we go upstairs so I can take care of your burns?"

"Sounds good."

Both of them make their way up the stairs, with Sara going into the guest room while Ava enters the bathroom to fetch the ointment. When she joins Sara, the small blonde is simply standing there, fidgeting with her fingers. Ava notices her discomfort and assumes that it's due to the fact that Sara doesn't like to be taken care of, so she decides she needs to take charge. "Can you lay down on your stomach, please?" Ava asks, a reassuring look on her face.

"Sure," Sara replies, taking off the only thing that's covering her naked form before climbing on the bed and laying down, crossing her arms to rest the side of her head on top of them.

This time, Sara's nakedness doesn't have the same effect on Ava, seeing as she was already expecting it. She makes her way to the bed, carefully straddling Sara's hips. "Are you comfortable?" she asks, receiving a silent nod in return. "Good. Now this will feel a little bit cold, but just try to relax, okay?"

"Okay…" Sara breathes out, preparing herself for Ava's touch. She flinches at first, and Ava whispers a small apology, but she quickly relaxes after that. She tries to focus on how good it feels to have Ava's fingers against her skin once again, instead of on the slight pain that comes with it every time the taller blonde touches the burnt tissue on her back.

Ava's touch is firm but gentle, just as Sara remembers it, and she sighs at the pleasant and familiar notion of it.

"Aves?" Sara's voice comes out so soft that Ava's fingers on her still for a fraction of a second before she continues her ministrations.

"Yes?" she manages to rasp out. The softness of Sara's voice towards her has always been able to leave her heart - and other parts of her body - and soul, aching.

"I'm truly sorry I screwed up things between us," Sara tells her, holding her breath as she waits for Ava's response.

"I know, Sara. You already apologized for it," Ava replies as she shuffles down on the bed so she can apply the ointment on Sara's thigh.

"Do you think…" Sara begins, but cuts herself off as she takes a deep breath at the sudden coldness on her skin. She continues a couple of seconds after. "Do you think we will ever be able to go back to what we had?"

Ava looks down at Sara, her eyes travelling over her naked back as she ponders on the question she made. She climbs off the bed, putting aside the bottle of ointment before wiping off the remains of it from her hands with some tissues she had on the bedside table.

She makes her way over to the other side of the bed and kneels down next to Sara's face. "Scoot over?" she asks, biting her bottom lip as she waits for Sara's answer.

Sara nods, moving to the left side of the bed so Ava can lay down next to her. Ava quickly does, laying on her side so she is facing Sara. Her right hand reaches out to move away some damp hairs that are sticking to Sara's forehead, so she can have a better look at the arctic eyes she adores so much.

"My answer is no. I don't think so."

"Oh… I see," Sara whispers, trying not to let her disappointment show on her face, but failing miserably at it.

"But," Ava begins, placing her right hand against Sara's back, running the pads of her fingers up and down in what she hopes is a soothing manner, careful not to touch the burnt area, "that's only because I believe we can do better this time. I don't want a repeat of what we had, Sara, because we both know damn well how badly that ended."

Sara nods before she lays on her side as well, mimicking Ava's position. She gives her a small smile as her left hand reaches out to cup Ava's cheek, stroking the soft skin there with her thumb. "You're right. We will do better this time. I will do better this time, I promise."

Ava smiles warmly at her. "And I believe you," she says, leaning closer to place a lingering kiss against Sara's forehead.

"Now come on, get dressed, so we can have dinner," Ava tells her, climbing off the bed and walking out of the room.

As soon as Sara finds herself alone, a big and goofy smile makes its way to her face. It seems that staying at Ava's might turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to her.

* * *

**AN: I hope you have enjoyed the reading! Please let me know your thoughts on it ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: That's right! A new chapter is finally here! Sara and Ava start to get closer to each other in this one and there's a lot of softness and a bit of smut on the side.**

**I hope you enjoy! ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Put A Lock On The Door, Double The Knot**

As Sara goes down the stairs and reaches the entry to the kitchen, she hums after a sweet smell envelops her senses. "Is my nose deceiving me or is this your wonderful carbonara that I am smelling?"

Ava chuckles while placing two glasses of orange juice on the kitchen table. "I'm glad to know your nose is working well despite all the smoke you inhaled."

Sara claps her hands happily before sitting down, her mouth practically salivating while eyeing the food in front of her. "I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier."

Ava smiles fondly at the sight before sitting down to her right.

The small blonde looks at her with a silent question, waiting for Ava's reply. "Well, dig in Sara, what are you waiting for?"

"Thank you!" she says, quickly grabbing her fork and knife to swirl a portion of the pasta before bringing it to her mouth. She closes her eyes, letting the flavor settle inside her mouth. A moan escapes from her throat, leaving a tinge of pink on Ava's cheeks.

"My God, Aves, this is wonderful," she says before chewing. "Hm… So, so good."

Ava only notices she is sitting straight and not moving when Sara calls her attention. "Ava, you're not going to eat?"

She clears her throat, lowering her head and feeling thankful that her hair is long enough to serve as a curtain, hopefully shielding the blush on her cheeks from Sara's wondering eyes.

She busies herself with tasting her own food, a small hum of approval coming from her. "Not bad."

Sara frowns at that, reaching out to place her right hand on top of Ava's left. "Aves, the meal is amazing. Why do you always have to be so critical of yourself? I mean, I can't even make scrambled eggs, and here you are, acting like you're a useless cook."

Ava chuckles at her. "Why am I not surprised about that?"

Sara gapes at her, feigning being offended as she removes her hand from Ava's to point her index at her. "Listen, I could be an amazing cook, if I wanted. I'm just really lazy," she explains playfully, leaving them both laughing.

The taller blonde shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I can always teach you the basics, if you want me to. Especially now that we'll be spending more time together." She grabs the glass of orange juice she had prepared for both of them, seeing as Sara is forbidden from drinking alcohol until she has fully recovered.

As if on cue, the smaller blonde sighs and asks, "Why couldn't you pour us both a glass of wine? It would really help me relax."

Ava purses her lips, already expecting that kind of question from Sara. "You know you can't drink alcohol right now, Sara. You have to wait until you are fully recovered and done with your meds," Ava stresses, trying to convey how important it is but still feeling bad for her. She reaches out her left hand and cups Sara's cheek, tracing it affectionately.

Sara sighs. "I know, I know," she whispers, finding comfort in Ava's touch. She grabs the blonde's hand, turning her face to place a kiss against her palm. Their eyes meet, holding each other's gaze for a couple of minutes. Both wanting to say many things, but saying none at all, afraid of going too fast, too soon.

"Thank you, Ava. For letting me stay here and taking care of me. I really appreciate it," Sara eventually ends up saying and her heart warms at the fond smile Ava gives her.

"Of course, don't mention it," she replies, taking her hand back so she can grab her fork and knife again. "Now you better clear your plate if you want to get dessert."

Sara smiles brightly at her and salutes, "Aye aye, Captain!"

After dessert, and after Ava is done washing the dishes alone - much to Sara's protest - they both end up on the couch in the Captain's living room, watching some old reruns of C.S.I. Las Vegas.

A couple of episodes in and Sara is laying down with her head on Ava's lap, almost falling asleep. Ava can't resist looking down and admiring her peaceful semblance, smiling at the content sigh that leaves the smaller blonde's lips every time Ava gently scratches a particular spot on her scalp.

She grabs the remote, turning the TV off after deciding that it is best if they go to bed.

"Hey, Sara, wake up?" she asks in a low voice, trying not to disturb the sleeping woman on top of her. Sara stirs, but instead of opening her eyes she simply turns around, burying her face against Ava's stomach.

The taller blonde cannot help but chuckle, finding the whole ordeal too adorable. Her right hand moves some hair away from Sara's face while her other hand rests on top of her waist. "C'mon, it's getting late and we need to get you to bed."

Sara seems more awake this time, slowly shaking her head. "No… I'm comfy here," she whines, a small pout coming to her lips.

Ava snorts at that, making Sara open one eye to look up at her. "Are you making fun of me?"

The taller blonde bites back a smirk, holding her hands up in defense. "I wouldn't even dream of it."

"Hm…" Sara says, before letting out a sigh as she reluctantly moves from Ava lap to sit up, yawning as she rubs her eyes. "Okay, I'm up now, happy?"

"Yes," Ava tells her while booping her nose. "Now come on, off to bed you go," she says before getting up and helping Sara to her feet. They walk hand in hand to the guest room, and once there, Ava steps in and proceeds to move all the throw pillows to the closet so that Sara can have more space to lay down.

"So, there's a spare toothbrush in the bathroom closet if you wanna brush your teeth before going to bed," she says, standing a bit awkwardly in the middle of the room, her hands clasped in front of her, "Or not. I mean, it is up to you, really."

Sara moves from the entrance of the bedroom, walking the few steps it takes to be standing close to Ava, a smirk on her face. "Are you implying my breath smells?"

Ava rolls her eyes half-heartedly, the corners of her mouth turning up. "Yes, Sara, that's exactly what I meant."

Sara smacks her forearm. "Jerk!" she says, making the both of them laugh together. Ava grabs the hand that hit her, tracing circles on the back of it. Their laughter eventually dies, and they stand in the middle of the room, simply looking at each other.

Ava is the one to break the silence. "I should go to bed now, early morning and everything," she says, pointing at the door with her free hand.

"Fair enough," Sara replies, squeezing Ava's hand before letting go. They wish each other goodnight, and as soon as Ava closes the door behind her, they both let out a sigh.

The clock marks 3AM in bright red colors. It is the fourth time that Sara has woken up from an awful nightmare. Always surrounded by flames and thick smoke, trying to find an escape route but never being able to, until the walls in the building come crumbling down on her. Quite frankly, she has given up on trying to get some sleep. The only thing she accomplished was being covered in sweat, her burnt skin stinging. She knows applying some more ointment would help, but she is too tired and lazy to do so right now.

And it is not just that, there is a feeling of restlessness inside of her. Sara needs something, but she doesn't know exactly what it is. She decides she had enough of staring up at the blank ceiling and makes her way to the kitchen. She grabs a glass from the cupboard and helps herself to some fresh water. A sudden noise to her right makes her quickly turn around, her free hand going to her chest. She sighs of relief when she realizes it is just Ava. "Jesus, you scared me there for a second."

Ava rubs the back of her neck, an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, didn't mean to spook you. Just heard some noises coming from here and wanted to check on you. Trouble sleeping?"

Sara nods at her before taking a gulp of her water. "What about you?" She asks, leaning back against the counter and placing the empty glass next to her.

"Same," Ava says, before her eyebrows form a deep frown as she steps closer to the smaller blonde. "Sara, what happened? You're drenched in sweat."

Sara waves her off. "Just had some nightmares, that's all."

"Mhm… Do you wanna talk about it?" Ava asks cautiously, knowing very well from personal experience that Sara is a person who cannot be pressured into talking about certain things.

Sara shrugs her shoulders, casting her gaze down to the tiled floor. "Not really."

Ava takes another step closer, her hands moving to cup the smaller blonde's cheeks, tilting her face up so she can look her in the eyes. She frowns at how cold Sara feels to the touch. "Your skin is ice cold, Sara," she says, her voice with a small hint of panic. One of her hands moves to Sara's forehead, checking her temperature, but the smaller blonde quickly grabs it.

"I'm fine, Aves. Just some silly nightmares that left me shaken up, alright?"

Ava doesn't reply, but instead chews on her bottom lip, something Sara knows is her tell-tale whenever she is feeling conflicted.

"You know you don't need to be strong all the time, right Sara?"

Sara smiles softly at her, reaching out her right hand to tuck some hair behind her ear. "I know, but I'm okay, I promise. Nothing a good night of sleep can't fix. I'm just going to splash some water on my face and get back to bed."

Ava seems to relax a little bit as she stops biting on her lip. She nods and lets Sara go, waving her goodbye. Once she is alone again, Ava leans against the countertop, a sigh leaving her lips as she tries to tell herself that even though she worries about Sara, she shouldn't be so insistent regarding her need to help the smaller blonde. She has to learn to trust that Sara will come to her when she feels ready to do so.

With that in mind she leaves the kitchen area, turning off the lights on her way back to her bedroom. She quickly settles under the covers, trying to get in the right mindset to be able to face the day that awaits her.

A few minutes in and Ava's breathing becomes slower as she feels herself drift off. She is almost entering a state of full sleep when a sudden movement behind her disturbs it. She turns around as the bed dips with an extra weight, and frowns when she sees Sara kneeling next to her. Her hand reaches out to the smaller blonde's knee of its own accord "Hey… Everything okay?" she asks, her voice slightly raspy.

Sara averts her gaze from Ava's, and even though it's hard to tell in the darkness of the room, Ava is pretty sure she spots a blush on Sara's cheeks. She can tell she's nervous and shaken up.

"I'm having trouble falling asleep," Sara explains as she fidgets with her fingers in her lap, "Do you mind if I stay here tonight? Next to you? I just don't wanna be alone..."

Ava is nodding before Sara is even finished, holding the covers up so she can slide under them. Ava tucks her in, making sure she is comfortable. "Is this okay for you?"

"It's perfect," Sara whispers, her blue eyes shining as she looks at Ava, and Ava cannot help but notice how they seem to hold the moonlight in them, finding herself falling deeper for their beauty.

Sara closes them a couple of seconds later and Ava feels a small hint of disappointment at not being able to look at her favorite pair of eyes for a while longer. The feeling doesn't last long though, when she hears Sara speak up once more.

"Aves?" she asks, eyes still shut tightly.

"Yeah?"

"Can you hold me?"

Ava doesn't give her a verbal answer, but instead moves her right arm to wrap it around Sara's small frame, bringing her closer to her chest. Sara immediately tucks herself underneath Ava's head, her own arm going around the taller blonde's waist. "Thank you."

* * *

The following morning Sara wakes up to an empty bed, a light frown on her semblance as she pats the cold sheets next to her. A sigh leaves her lips before she stretches her arms and legs in a vain attempt to try and shake the sleep from her tired muscles, hating how sluggish she feels.

After getting out of bed she makes her way down, a small smile on her lips as she hears some commotion coming from inside the kitchen.

"Good morning," she greets followed by a yawn, making Ava turn around to look at her with a smirk on her lips.

"Morning sleepyhead," the captain greets back, holding a half-eaten piece of toast in her right hand while her other is holding a thermos that she filled with tea a couple of minutes ago.

Sara notices how she seems to be in a hurry. "You're already leaving?"

The mild disappointment in her voice doesn't go unnoticed by Ava and her face turns to an apologetic one. "I am. I can't stay much longer but I've made you breakfast," she explains, taking another bite of her toast. "Please help yourself to anything you want. Your meds are on the counter and I wrote down the schedule and instructions on how you should take them."

"Aves, you didn't have to do that," Sara tells her as she approaches the kitchen table and sits down, a plate with two pieces of toast and a mug of tea already placed in front of her.

Ava shrugs her shoulders, "I know, but I don't mind. In the meantime, please make yourself at home. I will try to get back on time, but I can't promise anything. You know how the job is."

Sara nods at that, her mouth too full of food to talk. Ava chuckles at her. "It's nice to see you haven't lost your appetite. Anyway, I have to go." She adds, bending down to place a kiss on Sara's forehead absentmindedly. "I'll see you later, Sara. If you need anything, just call me."

"Yes, yes, I know. Just go already. It will look bad if the Captain arrives late because of me."

Ava laughs as she picks up her duffel bag on her way out the apartment. "G'bye babe," she says before closing the door behind her.

Sara slightly chokes on the food at hearing the nickname, surprise written all over her face.

Ava on the other hand only realizes what she said once she is inside her car, keys already in the ignition. Her eyes go wide and she smacks herself internally, her head resting on top of the steering wheel. _God, why did you have to make it awkward?_

She arrives at the Station fifteen minutes later. She greets Leo and Mick at the entrance while they are having a smoke, before climbing her way to the locker room. As she is finishing changing into her uniform, she notices someone approaching.

"Hey there Cap!" Zari greets with an unusual happiness to her voice. Ava eyes her curiously before replying, "Good morning Tomaz. You sound unusually chirpy for someone who hates waking up so early. Was last night that good?" The blonde teases, knowing damn well that her friend's good mood is due to the fact that she has been spending a lot of extra time with Charlie lately.

Zari blushes but quickly recovers from it, a smirk appearing on her lips, "I could ask you the same thing. How is it having Sara over?" she asks, crossing her arms across her chest, eyebrows raised.

Ava shrugs her shoulders, avoiding looking her in the eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I simply offered to have her stay because I thought she could use the extra help."

The brunette can't suppress a chuckle, immediately shooting back, "Sure, some _**extra help**_. That's quite the innuendo for se-"

Ava quickly runs to her to put a hand over her mouth. "Shh, Zari! Shut your mouth!" she warns her friend, looking around to make sure they still find themselves alone. Once she is sure of it, she removes her hand. "You know most of the team don't know about me and Sara. Only you and Charlie know about what happened and I would like for it to remain that way."

Zari frowns at that. "Ahm… Sorry for ruining that notion of yours, but you do realize that after the way you reacted yesterday at Sara being in danger, everyone kind of knows how much you guys are crazy for each other, right?"

Ava sighs at her friend's words, rubbing her temples in frustration. "Listen, let's just forget about it. We need to concentrate on work today."

"Agreed. How is she, by the way?"

The blonde smiles fondly at the concern in Zari's voice.

"She's okay. Just two minor burns and some sore muscles. As long as she rests and takes her meds, she will be fine."

"Okay, that's good," Zari nods. "Do you think I could go and visit her?"

"Absolutely. She would love to see you and the rest of the team as well. Maybe this weekend?"

"Sounds great! I'll bring dessert."

* * *

It's seven in the evening when Sara wakes up from a much needed nap. She stretches from her position on the living room couch, turning on her side to face the TV that is still on. The last few remnants of sleep quickly disappear once her eyes focus on the screen in front of her.

Whatever program was on is interrupted by the local news channel, with a report on some live situation. She sits up, trying to understand all the details. So far, all she's able to figure out is that there has been a chemical explosion in a factory downtown. Several firefighters and first responders were immediately at the scene, as well as police officials. At least 15 workers are hurt, with some of them having been sent to the nearby hospital straight away for serious injuries.

"_We have approximately three different fire stations at the scene who are trying their best to put out the massive fire that has spread throughout the whole factory and surrounding premises as a result of the explosion. The police force are also doing their part, interviewing some of the workers who were left unscathed in order to start their investigation. They are still trying to discover the origin of the explosion…"_

Sara can no longer follow what the news reporter is saying. All she can think about is Ava and the rest of her team. How she should be doing her job as well, fighting alongside them at the scene. She wants to leave, to run out of Ava's apartment until she reaches the site of the accident. She's torn between staying and going.

Logically, she knows that her body is still not fully recovered enough to be put through such a stressful situation. Yet her heart is begging her to fulfill her duty, to put in practice what she was trained for.

Sara takes a deep breath, trying to focus on what Ava had told her, on how important it is to recover first. She sits up straight on the couch, crosses her legs and rests her hands on top of her knees.

"In…" she inhales, counting to four in her head, "and out..." she exhales, counting to five this time.

She repeats the same process several times until she starts to feel better, more relaxed and centered. Her heart is no longer beating like crazy, and she can actually rationalize and talk some sense into herself.

She opens her eyes again, her focus back on the television. She follows the whole incident, telling her still worried heart time and time again that her friends will be fine, that her friends are fine, that Ava is fine. That nothing bad is going to happen.

But as the hours pass and she still hasn't had a message from Ava, she starts to get more worried. They announced that some firefighters had been hurt in the mission, but no names have been revealed. Sara's heart squeezes at that, at not knowing if everything is alright with her people, the ones she now calls her _**family**_.

Her body shrinks into the couch, knees against her chest as she wraps the blanket around her frame, desperately trying to obtain a little bit of comfort. She's simply hoping for the best, waiting for Ava to get back home safely. As the news eventually starts to stop reporting any updates, she decides to turn off the television to take her mind off it all for a bit.

One hour later and Sara's attention keeps shifting between the door of the apartment and her cellphone, hoping in vain to see some sign from at least one of them that Ava is okay, that Ava wasn't hurt during the mission.

She picks up her phone for what feels like the hundredth time that night, unlocking the screen to make sure she hasn't missed a text notification. She places it against the coffee table once more, frustration settling inside of her. "Fuck."

She had already left three voice messages and five texts to Ava, and none of them got any response back.

Her eyes move to the door, her right leg bouncing nervously. She sighs before getting up, walking to the living room windows so she can look out and down to the street.

Her heart skips a beat when she spots Ava's car turning into the driveway. She waits for a couple of minutes, hands and face glued against the glass until she is sure it really is Ava coming out of the vehicle. When she recognizes the taller blonde, she is out of the apartment in a matter of seconds, running until she is face to face with the elevator. She quickly presses the button to the ground floor, mentally asking the lift to hurry up.

Ava steps into the entrance of the building, pressing the elevator button once she reaches it. It doesn't take long for the lift to arrive, and she is thankful for that because all she wants is to curl up under the covers and be dead to the rest of the world for the night.

The familiar ding of the elevator doors opening brings her back to reality, but she doesn't even have time to react before someone is throwing herself into her arms. She takes a couple of steps back from the impact, but her arms immediately wrap around the smaller frame.

"Hey… You shouldn't be out of the apartment," she jokes as she holds Sara tightly to her, trying to lighten the mood. One of her hands moves up to cradle Sara's head, which is now buried in the crook of her neck. She realizes she failed in her attempt when she feels tears against her skin, making her heart break a little more. "Shh, I'm here Sara, it's okay. I'm here, I'm okay."

Sara sniffles, nodding at her words. She leans back, looking up at Ava with her beautiful blue eyes shiny and watery.

Ava smiles softly at her, her hands framing her face as she wipes her tears away. "Come on, let's go home," she tells the smaller blonde, grabbing her hand while leading her to the elevator.

Once they are inside the apartment, she leads them to the couch. "Wait here, I'm going to grab you some tea," she says, moving to leave but Sara's hand around her wrist stops her.

"Don't go. Stay here with me, Aves."

The way Sara's voice sounds makes it hard for Ava to refuse and she ends up nodding and sitting next to her.

"Tell me what happened."

Ava sighs at the request. "Sara-"

"Please… I need to know. If the team is okay, if _you _are okay."

The captain waves her off. "Everyone is alright, we were left unscathed. Nothing more than some bruises and cuts."

"Show me," Sara insists and Ava frowns at the request.

"What?"

"Show me where you're hurt."

Ava scoffs at that, shaking her head. "I told you Sara, I'm fin-"

"You recoiled when I hugged you and I noticed that you were leaning on your right side on your way to the apartment."

The taller blonde flexes her jaw at Sara's astuteness, for once cursing her for being so smart and attentive. She sighs before lifting her shirt, wincing at the gasp that leaves Sara's mouth.

"Aves, that's a very nasty bruise. Did you get that checked for internal bleeding at least?"

Ava covers herself again before replying, "Yes, we were all checked at the scene. They just told me to be careful with the area and to go to the doctor's if it gets worse."

Sara nods at that before reaching out to tuck a lock of blonde hair behind Ava's left ear. She lets her fingers linger against the skin there before her thumb is caressing Ava's temple.

"What about here?" Sara asks in a gentle voice that has Ava leaning against her touch.

"What do you mean?" Ava questions, eyes still closed as her hand moves to hold Sara's.

The smaller blonde places her free hand over the captain's heart. "I mean, how do you feel inside? I know you Aves, I know it's hard for you to distance yourself from the fatalities of our job."

Sara notices how Ava's bottom lip quivers at her last words, and that's enough to know she is right.

"Don't be afraid to feel, Ava. It's just the two of us right now, you know you can let go."

Ava lets out a sob, the dam she had set up inside of her finally breaking and crumbling down.

"I couldn't save them all, Sara, there were so many dead workers. It just… We weren't enough, there weren't enough of us. And so many injured- some of them colleagues of ours. I didn't know what to do- I panicked, so much blood- If it weren't for Mick and Ray, and the rest of the team... I put them in danger because I wasn't able to react quickly enough- and then-"

"Hey, hey!" Sara says as she holds her tightly to her chest, trying to stop her rambling and calm her down. "Ava, I don't know exactly what happened during the mission, but if there's one thing I'm certain about, it's that you are one of the best firefighters in this city. And you are an incredible Captain, who puts herself through extreme danger every single day with the sole purpose of saving other people."

She holds Ava's face between her hands, tilting her head so she can look her in the eyes. "You are absolutely amazing, Captain Ava Sharpe, and I will, without any doubt, always put myself through any dangerous mission as long as I know I have you as my captain."

"You're wrong, Sara, I'm not that good. I'm not that strong, you have it all wrong."

"No, I don't. You are the strongest person I know, Ava, and that's never going to change. But I am also telling you right now that you don't have to be the strongest one all the time. So for tonight, I am asking you to let me be the strong one here. Let me be the one to take care of you." Sara presses a number of soft kisses against her forehead, the bridge of her nose and finally her lips.

"Will you let me take care of you, beautiful?" Sara whispers against her lips, smiling softly when she feels Ava's small nod.

"Good," Sara says, nodding as well. "How do you feel about taking a bath? It might help you relax," she suggests, trying to make her feel better. "I can run it for you."

"That sounds great, thank you," Ava lets her know as they lean back from one another, a sheepish smile on her face.

She leads Sara to the main bathroom, the only one in the house that actually has a tub instead of a shower. She starts to run the water while Sara simply watches her move around.

"Where do you keep your bath bombs?" Sara asks, thinking it might help make the bath more relaxing.

Ava reaches for one of the cupboards and takes out a small item, handing it to Sara. "Is this Coconut?"

"Yes. It's my favorite," Ava smiles, approaching the tub. Once she sees that it is filled up enough, she turns off the tap. She stands in the bathroom, looking a bit awkwardly at Sara.

The smaller blonde notices it and decides to break the silence. "Well, the tub is filled, the towels are over there and you have your bath bomb, so I guess I'll just go back to the living room. If you need anything just call for me."

She smiles at Ava and makes her way out of the bathroom, but Ava's hand on her forearm stops her.

"Wait, Sara…"

Sara stands there for a couple of seconds in silence, preparing herself for what Ava might say. She swallows before turning around, her blue eyes looking expectantly at the shiny emeralds gazing back at her. "Yes?"

Ava moves her eyes away, pondering on Sara's recent words before looking at her again, deciding that Sara is right. She does not need to be the strong one all the time. "Will you stay? I think having some help would be good…"

The way Ava is looking at her, with so much fragility, tugs at her heart and she finds that she simply can't refuse taller blonde's request. "Yes, of course. Anything you need, Aves."

Ava offers a small and thankful smile, before nodding. "Can you start by getting me out of these clothes?"

Sara blushes at the blunt request, but still does as asked. "Can you raise your arms?" she asks as her hands curl around the hem of Ava's shirt. The taller blonde nods and in a couple of seconds she is naked from the waist up. Sara cannot help but notice how her flushed chest is covered in tiny drops of sweat and she is left staring for a couple of seconds until Ava clears her throat.

"Sorry…" Sara whispers, turning her gaze up to Ava's eyes.

"Can I help you with yours?" Ava asks before placing her own hands on the hem of Sara's T-shirt.

"Yes," the smaller blonde says and in a matter of seconds the item is thrown against the bathroom floor.

Both of them make quick work of getting rid of their pants until the only thing that's left is their underwear.

A couple of beats go by before Sara hooks her thumbs on her panties and takes them off, leaving her fully naked.

Ava cannot help but stare at the beauty in front of her, fully realizing for the first time how much she has missed seeing Sara like this.

Sara smirks softly at her, stepping closer to rest her hands on Ava's hips. She swallows before starting. "Can I-"

"Yes," Ava rasps out, already guessing her question beforehand. Sara nods, her fingers hooking on the waistband of her underwear to pull it down. She does it quickly, trying not to lose focus because of the nakedness in front of her, but she cannot help the next words that come out of her mouth. "You are so incredibly beautiful."

Ava blushes at the compliment, moving to cover herself and look away from Sara's naked body at the same time. She tries not to lose herself in its beauty, but Sara makes it even harder with her next words.

"You can look at me, Aves, it's not like you've never seen me like this before."

Ava scratches the back of her neck before returning her gaze to Sara's face. "It was different back then. The situation was different," she explains herself once she is able to find her voice.

Sara lowers her head. "Yeah, I know." She then turns around, facing the tub. As she steps in, she lowers herself slowly until the water is by her shoulders.

"Wait, give me a second," Ava says, retreating into the bedroom. Sara keeps her ears open while waiting for her. When she returns, Sara cannot help but chuckle at what she is carrying.

"Wow, I even have the right to a pillow for my head," she teases, smirking as Ava places the item behind her head. She rests her head against it and closes her eyes. "You really know how to make a lady feel like a queen, Sharpe."

Ava laughs at her, the sound of it fluttering around Sara's heart like a sweet melody. The captain finally steps inside the tub as well, lowering herself into the water, placing a pillow behind her head just like she did for Sara.

"How's the temperature?" she asks softly, making Sara open her eyes. "It's perfect, thank you."

Ava smiles at her. "This was a good idea."

Sara hums. "I agree," she admits, letting her head fall onto the pillow as she closes her eyes, relishing in the way her body now seems to be floating, light as a feather.

An idea crosses her mind some minutes later and she opens her eyes again. "Hey, Ava?"

"Mhm?" Ava hums, eyes still closed. Sara throws a little bit of water at her, trying to coax her to look at her. She smirks when she sees the gorgeous pair of emerald eyes looking back at her. There's a playful glare in them before she is throwing water back at Sara.

The smaller blonde laughs at her before they start splashing water at each other, their laughter echoing in the tiled walls of the bathroom.

Sara is left begging for mercy when Ava manages to soak her face and part of her hair. "Okay, okay, you win!"

Ava smirks at her words. "You should have known better than challenge me to a water fight, Lance."

Sara pokes her tongue out at that, making Ava laugh. She ends up cutting herself off when she flinches in pain, holding onto her right side. "Shit…"

"Hey, you okay?" Sara asks as she leans in closer to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, it just hurts a bit when I laugh or bend."

Sara frowns at the notion of Ava being in pain. "Do you think you can turn around?"

Ava matches her frown. "Why?"

"I think you'll be more comfortable if you lay down. You can lean against me."

"I'm not sure that's necessary…"

"C'mon Aves, no hidden motives here. I just want to hold you and make you feel good."

Ava blushes at her honesty but then nods in agreement. In a couple of seconds she has turned around and is leaning comfortably against Sara's front, head resting against her left shoulder while Sara's legs bracket her hips.

"Comfortable enough?" Sara whispers softly and Ava sighs happily, leaning further into Sara.

"Yes, thank you. I should be the one taking care of you though, and not the other way around."

Sara wraps her arms around her, pressing a kiss against the side of her head, "Don't worry about that right now, just try to relax."

Ava nods and a comfortable silence falls between them, both simply enjoying the company of each other for a while. As Ava starts to get more comfortable, the small circles she is tracing on top of Sara's thighs gain more purpose. She smiles when she feels Sara take a sharp intake of breath.

"You okay?" she cannot help but ask, even though she is fully aware of what she is doing to the smaller blonde.

Sara clears her throat before replying. "Yeah, I am. Tell me if you need anything more, okay?" she tells her, reaching for Ava's left hand to hold her between her own.

Ava bites her bottom lip, trying to muster the courage she needs before the words are falling off her lips. "Anything I need?" she asks, squeezing the hand inside of hers.

"Yes…" Sara breathes out and that is all it takes for Ava to turn her head to the side and reach for Sara's neck with her right hand, tilting her face to hers, mouths only inches away.

"Kiss me?"

Sara doesn't need to be asked twice, immediately locking their lips together in a fervent kiss. Both women moan when their tongues touch, tasting each other. It feels like coming home, and Ava swears she almost sees stars just by the feeling of Sara's mouth on hers once again.

God, how she has missed these fiery kisses with Sara. So much so that she almost lets out a whine when they part to breathe.

Sara has a smug smirk on her face and Ava feels the urge to kiss her again just to wipe it off her mouth. She decides to go for a bite on her pulse point instead, ripping a deep moan out of her.

"Don't look so smug, Lance," she growls before licking the sting to soothe it.

"You make it hard not to."

Ava chuckles lightly at that. "Sure. Blame it on me now."

Sara laughs at the banter, pressing a kiss against the tip of her nose. "You're cute, Sharpe."

"Shut up," Ava says with a pout on her lips. A shiver follows a couple of seconds after and Sara immediately runs her hands up and down her arms. "You getting cold?"

"Yeah, maybe it's best if we go to bed," she says, placing her arms each side on the tub so she can get out. She wraps a towel around herself before grabbing Sara's.

"I agree, we should get some rest," Sara replies before getting up and out of the tub, accepting the towel Ava gives her with a smile. "I hope the bath helped you relax."

"It did, thank you," Ava says as she follows Sara into the bedroom. Ava helps her apply the ointment to her burns before they both put on clean underwear and a set of comfy pyjamas. A warmth settles in Sara's chest at the chance of wearing Ava's clothing, that looks much bigger on her.

Ava actually catches the happy smile on Sara's face and cannot help but look fondly at her. When Sara notices this, she tries to hide it but to no avail. One of the things she adores about Ava is the fact that the woman is always able to see the little ways she reacts to something.

It is also what scared her at first - the fact that she simply cannot hide her feelings and little signals from Ava. She can tell when Sara is sad, or anxious, or even scared about something, especially before a rescue mission.

And still, Ava is capable of loving her. Of accepting her just the way she is, of trusting her with her life, by putting her in some of the most dangerous situations they have been faced with in their job.

It used to scare Sara, the way Ava can read her like an open book so easily, but now? Now she feels like that might be a good thing.

And that is what prompts her to take the decision she ends up taking. She sets her nerves and fears aside, and takes a step forward. Her hands cup Ava's face, as if framing a beautiful portrait. A feeling of wonderment grows inside her as she is mesmerized by the way Ava's gorgeous emerald eyes gaze deeply and lovingly back at her.

Ava's hands slowly hold on to Sara's waist, bringing her closer. "Sara- I think I was too rash, I shouldn't have rushed into this."

Sara shakes her head, bringing their foreheads together as she closes her eyes. "Shh, don't think, Aves. Just let yourself feel, I know you can do it."

"I want to, Sara, but what if we ruin it again?" Ava tries to reason with her but Sara holds her in place.

"Please, beautiful, just let me feel you. I just want to feel you," she admits, grazing their noses together, lips almost touching.

Sara starts to tilt her head, slowly testing the waters. She feels Ava take a sharp intake of breath, and that is enough to give her the rest of the courage she needed. Her lips finally touch Ava's again and she sighs at the softness of it all. The way they slide against hers, how they always seem to fit perfectly with hers, as if made for one another from the very beginning.

Ava's grip on her waist tightens before her hands wander to the small of her back, rubbing the skin there. As the kiss gets more passionate, Sara revels in the feeling of her fingers threading through Ava's silky hair, pulling at it so she can tilt Ava's head to make it easier to slide her tongue across her bottom lip, asking for entrance.

Sara lets out a moan when Ava grants it, their bodies melting into one another, both realizing how much they had missed this kind of contact between each other.

Sara starts moving them through the room until Ava's legs hit the bed and they both fall onto the mattress. The kiss breaks as a surprised gasp leaves the captain. Sara holds herself up on her arms and knees, both of them breathless. They stare at each other, trying to slowly compose their breathing. When they eventually feel calmer, they are left gazing at each other.

Sara's trademark smirk makes an appearance at seeing the blush on Ava's face.

"Ava Sharpe, are you getting all shy on me?" she teases, successfully pinning the taller blonde against the mattress as she intertwines their fingers together, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

Ava giggles at the gesture, and it is like music to Sara's ears. She leans back to look at her face, a fond smile on her lips. "I love the way you laugh."

"Yeah?" Ava asks, biting on her bottom lip. Sara nods, leaning in to steal another kiss. Ava smiles into it before she is kissing back, but a couple of seconds later she is squeezing the smaller blonde's hands, something close to a whine sounding in her throat.

Sara immediately stops the kiss, leaning back once again to look at her, a frown on her face. "Something wrong?"

There is a matching frown on Ava's face as she speaks, "It's just… It hurts a bit when I move." She explains, looking down to the bruise on her abdomen. "And maybe… Maybe this is too sudden. I'm still worried about ruining things between us again. Maybe we shouldn't be doing this so soon, Sara."

Sara cannot help the disappointment that takes over her face. "Oh… I see," she says, a resigned sigh leaving her lips as she moves to lay on her side next to Ava, her head resting on her propped up arm.

Ava lets out a groan, one hand running through her hair before she turns her head to look up at Sara, "Don't give me those puppy dog eyes, Lance," she narrows her eyes at her, holding the smaller woman's chin between her thumb and index finger.

Sara pouts before shrugging her shoulders, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ava sighs at her words before threading her fingers through Sara's hair and brings her down to place a couple of soft kisses against her lips.

"It's not that I don't want to kiss you and do other things with you, but we agreed to be careful this time and to go slower, so I don't think that falling in bed together right away would do us any good."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Sara says, followed by a sigh. "It's just, you are very hard to resist, you know that?" she says, trying to lighten the mood and smiling when she succeeds at making Ava chuckle.

"So are you," Ava tells her, and Sara knows deep in her heart that coming from Ava, it is definitely genuine.

They stare at each other in silence for a while longer until Sara musters up the courage to ask something of her. She takes Ava's hand that was just buried in her hair and holds it in hers. "Aves, would you mind, like, sleeping next to me again tonight? It would really help me, in case I get another nightmare…"

Ava brings their joined hands up and presses a kiss against Sara's. "Of course. No problem."

Sara smiles brightly at her, a small _thank you _leaving her lips as she waits for Ava to adjust her body on the bed comfortably. Once she is done, she motions for Sara to lay against her and the latter immediately places her head against her chest, sighing happily.

Ava cannot help but plant a kiss against Sara's head while she rests her left hand on top of the smaller blonde's waist, holding her protectively against her body under the comfort of the covers.

"Laurel… Look out… Laur… Please don't- Look out!" Sara wakes up with a jolt, her chest heaving as she tries to calm down her breathing. Ava is sitting up by her side in an instant, bringing Sara's head to her chest.

"Hey, it's okay Sara, you're okay. It was just a bad dream, you're awake now," she whispers as her free hand rubs soothing circles on Sara's back. The smaller blonde holds tightly to her, as if her life depends on it. She is badly shaken up, her body shivering.

They hold on to each other for a while, with Ava whispering sweet nothings in an attempt to calm her down, to ground her to the present moment.

When she realizes that she is not able to stop Sara from shivering, she pulls the blonde's head back to look her in the eyes. The fear she sees in them tugs at her heart and she feels a desperate need to make it go away.

"Sara, honey, tell me what to do. How can I help?" Ava asks in a gentle voice, trying to be helpful without being pushy. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"No!" Sara immediately replies, shaking her head. "No talking, it won't help, it will only make it worse, I-"

"Okay, okay…" Ava nods, tracing her cheekbones softly. "No talking, I promise. What else can I do?"

Sara swallows audibly, trying to figure out what she wants, what she needs. After a couple of minutes she finally speaks again. "I just… I need to forget, Aves. Please make me forget," she pleads, her eyes half-lidded as her gaze falls to Ava's inviting lips, mere inches away from her. "I want-"

She doesn't have to finish her sentence for Ava to understand what exactly she means, and a second after Ava's lips are on hers, slow and gentle, exactly the way she always treats Sara.

And Sara feels herself melt, letting her body and soul deliver themselves to the feeling of Ava's touch as the taller blonde carefully presses her down onto the mattress.

Her hands card through the soft waves of Ava's hair as she holds her in place. "Aves, wait, you don't have to do this just because I had a stupid nightmare. You wanna take things slow and I respect that-"

Ava shakes her head, looking down at her with an intensity that ignites a flame in Sara's lower belly. "I've changed my mind," she says, trying to go for another kiss against Sara's lips but the blonde stops her, holding her in place.

"Are you sure?" Sara asks, her ocean eyes showing her current vulnerability and Ava's heart clenches in pain once more.

She grazes their noses together before leaning back to hold Sara's gaze with hers. "It's not even a question, Sara. You need me right now," Ava says before kissing her more deeply this time, lowering herself so she can press her body against Sara's. Her right leg moves to settle between Sara's thighs and the kiss breaks as a moan leaves Sara's mouth.

"Aves…"

Ava smiles fondly at her, intertwining their hands. "I'm here, Sara, and I've got you," she reassures, one of her hands freeing itself to move some hair away from Sara's face, lingering there as her thumb traces a trail of freckles on the smaller blonde's forehead. "Do you trust me?"

Sara swallows, trying to stop the tears that are threatening to spill out. She licks her bottom lip as she nods, her words coming out in a broken whisper. "With all my life."

"Okay beautiful, then let me take care of you properly."

Ava tilts her head afterwards, locking their lips together. Her tongue comes out to trace Sara's bottom lip, coaxing her mouth open. Both of them moan when their tongues meet, their hearts beating faster in synchrony.

Ava's right hand starts to wander down, stopping when it reaches the hem of Sara's T-shirt. She breaks the kiss, sounding breathless when she asks, "Can I take it off?"

"Please do," Sara immediately tells her, eyes half-lidded and dark as she looks up at Ava.

The latter smiles softly at her before getting rid of the item, leaving her mesmerized by the naked beauty below her. She feels something akin to luck at the fact that she is the person Sara is delivering herself to in her most fragile state.

Sara suddenly bucks her hips and the movement brings her back to the moment again.

"Where did you go just now?" Sara asks, cheeks red and lips swollen. She looks more beautiful than ever and Ava wants her to know that, to feel that.

"Nowhere," she tells her, pressing a kiss against each one of her cheeks, her lips, her nose and then finally her forehead, whispering against the freckled skin there, "I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you and how beautiful you look right now."

Sara scoffs at her, shaking her head. "Aves, I just woke up from a nightmare and I haven't slept properly in ages. I look awful."

Now is Ava's turn to shake her head. "You're wrong."

Sara is about to discuss it further, but a slender finger against her lips stops her. "No point in disagreeing, I stand by my words. Now, let me take care of you."

The smaller blonde cheeks go redder, eyes glassy as she nods. Ava smiles softly at her before leaning down to kiss her on the lips. She starts a trail through Sara's jaw, pressing small butterfly-kisses until she reaches the place behind Sara's ear, poking her tongue out.

Ava smirks when she feels Sara squirm as her left hand threads through Ava's hair, scratching her scalp encouragingly. The taller blonde takes it as a good sign and keeps going, licking down her neck until her lips are above her pulse point. She bites down lightly, smirking as she coaxes a moan from Sara's mouth. A second later, though, and she is licking the bite to soothe it, not wanting to leave a mark.

"Ava," Sara almost whines, bucking her hips to get her attention. Ava can't help but chuckle, leaning back to look at her.

"Try to be patient, honey." Ava asks before her right hand is raking down Sara's left side, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Her hand moves up and settles against Sara's left breast. She squeezes it gently before using her thumb to flick the pink nipple, which quickly hardens and rises, craving Ava's tongue. She doesn't deny it any longer, having the tiny nub under her tongue in a matter of seconds.

Sara's fingers in her hair tighten as her back arches off the bed. "Fuck, baby, that feels good."

Ava smirks before sucking on it, pleased at the sounds Sara is making from under her. She tugs on it with her teeth, a shiver running through her spine at the deep moan that comes out of Sara's throat.

She lets go of it to move to Sara's other breast, giving it the exact same attention. She is stopped by Sara lightly pushing her head away.

"No more, Aves," she half-requests, half-whines. Ava moves up so they can be face to face. "Too sensitive?"

Sara nods, too embarrassed to verbalize it. An understanding smile appears on Ava's lips. "It's okay, no more then," she says before kissing her cheek. She moves her mouth to Sara's ear to whisper, "Do you still want me to-"

Sara takes Ava's right hand and places it on top of the waistband of her sleep shorts. "Yes. I need to feel you, Ava, and only you."

Ava doesn't respond, instead dipping her fingers inside Sara's underwear, gasping at the wetness she is met with. Sara wraps her arms around Ava's shoulders as the latter traces her slit slowly up and down, skipping her clit on purpose. Her index finger then goes lower until it reaches Sara's warm entrance, circling it to gather some wetness before she is moving up again, finally touching where Sara needs her most. As soon as her index comes in contact with Sara's clit, the smaller blonde bucks her hips, trying to get more friction against her finger.

Ava presses their foreheads together, trying to keep her in place. "I know it feels good, but try to go slower. We have time, sweetheart, don't rush into it."

Sara nods against her. "I k- know Aves, but I've missed you- missed you like this."

"I know Sara, but try to relax," Ava asks, slowing her movements against her clit until she feels the tension in Sara's body slip away. She leans back to look at her favorite ocean eyes. "Good girl."

Sara brings Ava's lips to hers in a useless attempt to hide the deep blush on her cheeks. Her moans are muffled by the kiss, as she feels Ava's finger leave her clit to press against her entrance.

Ava moans at the feeling of the soft velvety walls clenching around her finger as she slowly enters Sara. Once she is knuckle deep, she starts to slowly pull her finger back, only to start moving it back and forth.

Sara moves with her, helping her create a good rhythm. "Aves… I need another one baby," she rasps out after a few minutes.

Ava nods before moving her index out to push two fingers inside, waiting for Sara to get used to the sudden burning of the stretch. Once she feels her walls relax and Sara nodding against her, she starts moving again.

While her hand is busy she moves her mouth to the smaller blonde's neck, kissing and nipping her favorite spot behind Sara's ear. She feels herself getting wet as Sara's moans and shallow breaths reverberate through her own ears.

Her thumb circles against Sara's clit and it's all it takes for the smaller blonde to finally tense and come with Ava's name spilling out of her lips, her hips bucking of their own accord. Ava keeps moving her fingers, slower now as she helps Sara ride out the last waves of her orgasm. The touches against her clit grow lighter and Ava eventually stops them altogether when Sara's body finally rests sluggish against the mattress. Ava keeps her fingers inside of her, trying her best not to move them as she places feather-light kisses all over Sara's face, ending with a kiss on each one of her closed eyelids.

She waits for the smaller blonde to open her eyes and regain her normal breathing. Once she is met with the ocean eyes she loves so much, she speaks again. "Hey there, beautiful. How do you feel?"

Sara's lips turn into a lazy smile. "Amazing," she manages before pursing her lips, waiting for Ava to lean down and kiss her.

Ava laughs before responding to her non-verbal request. "That's good to know," she says as they part. "Do you think I can take my fingers out now?"

Sara pouts, shaking her head. Ava laughs again, finding the whole ordeal adorable. "No?" she says, bumping their noses together. "You do realize you can't keep my fingers there forever, right?"

"But they feel so good inside of me, Aves."

"I know, baby, but soon enough it will start to feel uncomfortable and you know it. I'm going to take them out now, okay?" Ava tells her, opening Sara's thighs wider so she can remove her hand. The smaller blonde whimpers at the loss as a shiver runs through her body.

Ava cleans her hand on the sheets and presses a kiss on each side of Sara's inner thighs, before moving up again on the bed to press a kiss against her forehead. "Sit up for me?"

"Why?" Sara questions, an adorable pout on her lips. "Let's just cuddle and sleep."

Ava chuckles before explaining herself. "We _are_ going to cuddle and sleep, but first I want you to put on your T-shirt again. I don't want you to catch a cold."

"Okay," Sara sighs, sitting up so that Ava can help her put the shirt on. Once it's done, both of them lay down back on the bed, with Sara immediately placing her head on what has now become her favorite place in the world, Ava's chest. Her left leg moves to tangle itself in Ava's, and the taller blonde can't help the soft sigh that leaves her lips at the feeling of having Sara in her arms again, after longing for it for so long.

"Thank you for helping me, Aves." Sara's voice sounds through the darkness, soft and small. Her hold on Ava tightens, making sure that all of it wasn't a dream.

"No need to thank me," Ava tells her, pressing a kiss against her head, "I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Sara presses a kiss against the base of her neck before looking up at her, "I will make it up to you though," she says, voice already laced with sleep.

Ava chuckles, "I'm sure you will," she replies, earning her a poke on the ribs, "Hey! What was that for?"

"For not taking me seriously…"

"I do take you seriously, you goober. But I also know that it's not going to happen tonight, so please just go to sleep so we can both rest."

"Fine, fine…"

A while later and they were able to fall asleep, the fact that they were next to each other making it a lot easier. Sara slept through the rest of the night safely in Ava's arms, no nightmares invading her dreams.

No flames, no smoke, no danger. Just the two of them, working towards a common goal, aiming for a fresh start as their hearts revel in being together once again.

* * *

**AN: That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed it! Any reviews are always welcome :)**


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